Analytical instrumentation has been utilized to characterize the constituents of samples for decades. Problems with this instrumentation have occurred when more than one type of sample, continuous sampling, and multiple types of analyses have been attempted utilizing limited instrumentation. Instruments have failed to allow the operator to perform one type of sampling as well as preparing to perform another type of sampling analysis with the same instrument.
In particular, GC/MS has been utilized to yield a very high degree of chemical information from few sample analyses. GC/MS can be used to confirm sample characteristics as well as component identification. Having this ability can be very desirable for some applications, such as building protection, where a large number of people could be affected by chemical/munitions attack. Misidentification in these situations can lead to large expenses in terms of time, money, and lost productivity.
The present disclosure provides instrumentation and sampling methods that allow the user to perform multiple analysis and multiple sampling techniques utilizing the same instrumentation.